Tamtam and others: I often cough up very very sticky phlegm/sputum. I checked it under the microscope and in addition to the fibers I noticed that the dried material appears like a "fern plant or moss". Is it possible that I have moss/fern growing in my lungs? I am very concerned to say the least.

The only relief I have had is to take doxycycline for a long period of time. It does not get rid of the lesions but will help with many other symptoms like pain. I took it for 1 year and 9 months. Now that I am off of it my symptoms have returned. Once my immune system recovers I will go back on it. Try taking an antihistamine for the itch from the lesions as it will help a lot.

cEllulAr locAlIzATIon And MEchAnIsMsof MElAnIn synThEsIs In PArAsITIc fungIThe ascomycete fungus Cryptococcus neoformans is a parasite of the central nervous system, responsible for 5–10% lethal infections in patients with immunodeficiency syndromes. C. neoformans ex-
presses laccase which produces melanin precursors
from tyrosine, DOPA, and catecholamines, abundant
in the host organism . However, the nature of the pigment produced in vivo under such conditions (eumelanin or other products
of catecholamine oxidation) remains controversial C. neoformans laccase is localized mainly in the outer layer of the cell wall, and this is also the place of melanin deposition. Such a localization is beneficial for the fungus for two reasons . First, it prevents the potentially toxic side-products and intermediates of melanogenesis from penetration to the cytoplasm. In
higher animals this is achieved by localization of the
whole process of melanogenesis in separate organel-
la — melanosomes, within the pigment-generating
cells, melanocytes (Nordlund et al., 1998). Secondly
— the cellular wall deposition of melanin makes it a
convenient barrier and a defence against toxins (e.g.
drugs, antibiotics) and other harmful factors which
melanin may neutralize. And indeed, melanotic
strains of C. neoformans are much more resistant to
fungicides and antibiotics (amphotericin B, flucona-
zol, caspofungin) than non-pigmented ones (Ikeda et
al., 2003). Caspofungin and amfotericin B are bound
in the outer layer of the cell wall of the fungus, so
only a limited amount is able to penetrate to the cy-
toplasm (Ikeda et al., 2003).
Melanized cell wall of C. neoformans is unu-
sually durable. It maintains its paramagnetic prop-
erties, structure, shape and size of the parasitic cell
even after a drastic treatment destructive to amelan-
otic cells (boiling in 6 M HCl, treatment with 4 M
guanidine isothiocyanate), whereafter fungal cells
can still be observed as the so called “melanin
ghosts” (Wang et al., 1996). It raises the intriguing
question about the existence and the mechanisms
of fungal melanin degradation in vivo. Such a phe-
nomenon seems to occur for endogenous melanins.
Melanin production correlates with enhanced
virulence of other facultatively parasitic Ascomyc-
etes. Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Sporothrix schenckii
and Exophiala (Wangiella) dermatitidis can serve as
examples . These fungi reside in soil where they grow in the form of free-livingmycelium. After rising the temperature to 37°C or
in vivo in the host organism they form conidia cov-
ered by a melanized cell wall. This phase is called
the “yeast” form, in contrast to the free-living myc-
elium, and the whole phenomenon is described as
thermodimorphism. Due to the presence of pigment
such fungi are often called “black yeast”.
Paracoccidioides brasiliensis causes danger-
ous, sometimes fatal systemic paracoccidiomycoses,
mainly in the South America (Gomez et al., 2001). It
contains laccase localized probably in the cell wall.
In the presence of DOPA or other catechol substrates
in the environment it synthesizes DOPA-melanin,
however, in the absence of phenolic compounds it
is able to produce DHN-melanin from tetrahydroxy-
naphthalene using the pentaketide pathway. In Spo-
rothrix schenckii this pathway leads to melanization
of conidia with the cell wall covered from the out-
side with melanin-like granules (Romero-Martinez et
al., 2000). This fungus is often found on rose prickles
and causes sporothrichosis called “Rose-picker’s dis-
ease”. In Europe it is occasionally diagnosed in flow-
er shop employees selling roses planted in tropical
countries. The presence of melanin in the cell wall
protects the conidia against digestion by proteases
and hydrolases secreted by competitive microorgan-
isms or against bacterio- and fungicidal proteins of
animal origin, such as defensins, magainins or pro-
tegrins (Doering et al., 1999; Rosas & Casadevall,
2001). The protective role of melanin is mainly based
on the inactivation of these proteins on the cell sur-
face or on the prevention of their contact with intra-
cellular substrates.
The DHN pathway of melanin biosynthesis
is very common in the Fungi kingdom, utilized,
among others, by many fungal parasites of higher
plants (Jacobson, 2000; Langfelder et al., 2003; Thom-
ma, 2003). It should be recalled that members of the
PKS family, the key enzyme in this pathway, have
been identified not only in fungi, but also in bacte-
ria, and even in protozoa (Kroken et al., 2003; Sny-
der et al., 2003).
bIochEMIcAl MEchAnIsMs of vIrulEncEof MElAnoTIc PArAsITIc fungIThe ability to produce melanin as an impor-
tant factor of virulence is well documented and con-
firmed in vivo for C. neoformans. Mice infected with
the parasite devoid of laccase and therefore unpig-
mented, survived significantly longer than the ones
infected with the melanized fungus (Williamson,
1997; Barluzzi et al., 2000). The virulence could be
easily restored by transfection with the CNlac1 plas-
mid containing the laccase gene (Williamson, 1997).
Melanin was found to protect the parasite from ROS
and RNS (reactive nitrogen species) produced dur-
ing the oxygen burst by activated host macrophages
Due to its electrochemical properties, melanin may act both as an electron donor and electron. Therefore, it is not only an effective free radical “sweeper”, but also an ion-exchange resin able
Melanin synthesis in microorganisms to bind iron ions . The limited iron ion pool decreases the possibility of Fenton reaction and the formation of
extremely reactive hydroxylradical from superoxide
radical anion and hydrogen peroxide (Pilas et al., 1988).
It has also been shown that melanin imitates action of
superoxide dismutase(SOD), thus additionally limiting
oxidative stress(Korytowski et al., 1986). More importantly, it has
recently been shown that through oxidation of DHI-
CA and DHI residues to respective semiquinones,
DOPA-melanin scavenges also RNS, mainly the ex-
tremely toxic radical of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) produced
by disproportionation of nitrite (NO2–)in low pH
(Reszka et al., 1998). This mechanism is probably
responsible for the survival of melanotic C. neoformans
strains in acidic solutions of NaNO2 (Wang & Casadevall, 1994b).
Melanotic Sporothrix schenckii strains are more
resistant to UV, NO and H 2O2 than amelanotic ones
(Romero-Martinez et al., 2000). Non-pigmented cells
are also more prone to killing by murine macro-
phages and human monocytes because of their high
vulnerability to oxygen burst and activation of nitric
oxide synthase (Romero-Martinez et al., 2000).
Exophiala dermatitidis, another representative
of “black yeast” is responsible for pheohypomy-
coses (e.g. the ones related to diabetes) (Schnitzler
et al., 1999). It also preferentially infects the nerv-
ous system of immunodeficient patients and exploits
the protective function of DHN-melanin as well as
carotenoids — torulene and torulorodyne — against
strong oxidants (hypochlorite, permanganate) and
free radicals. Carotenoids reveal mainly a screening
activity while melanin can actively neutralize the
oxidants. Melanized strains of E. dermatitidis are more resistant to killing by neutrophils than the amelanotic strains. Melanin protects the cells against ROS and lysis in phagosomes, although it does not affect the efficiency of phagocytosis, nor the kinetics of oxygen burst .

Abstract:
The seemingly delicate, strand-like pseudopodia of Astrammina rara, a camivorous benthic foraminiferan, adhere to and withstand the rigorous movements of meiofaunal prey. Previous electron microscopic studies identified two novel structures that might account for the unusual tensile properties of these pseudopodia: 1) an extensive, coiled microtubule cytoskeleton and 2) a fibrous extracellular matrix vesting the pseudopodial surface. In the present study, we found that pseudopodial networks microsurgically removed from A. rara's cell body captured Artemia metanauplii as efficiently as intact organisms, and therefore used them to test the role of microtubules and extracellular matrix components in augmenting pseudopodial strength. Agents that specifically disassemble microtubules (1 mM colchicine or 20 muM nocodazole) or generally disrupt pseudopodial integrity (heat, 10 mM formaldehyde, 1 mg/ml saponin) failed to inhibit prey capture. All of these treatments left the extracellular matrix intact as revealed by immunofluorescence and scanning electron microscopy. The elastic and tensile properties of the extracellular matrix, isolated by solubilization of pseudopodial cytoplasm using the nonionic detergent Triton X-100, were similar to those of intact pseudopodial networks when assayed with calibrated microneedles or a flexible rubber substrate. These observations indicate that A. rara uses a fibrous extracellular matrix to augment cytoplasmic tensile properties

It is very distressing (unless your name is Sarah Boine) to have such desperate people seek you out when we have little to no resources in which to use or direct them to. We do the best we can with what we have.

To the sufferer and her child I would say this….

Here are a few things that you may wish to consider using until you can find a physician to treat these symptoms.

Salt baths, to leech some of this out.
Garlic, in any and all forms to cover broad spectrum.
Antibiotic ointment Terramycin and mint oil, some people use this topically with incredible results.

And if you have the cash to spare, this stuff comes highly recommended. Even if you don’t have the cash for the products it may be a good idea to call them and see if they can refer you to a medical professional who knows something about this.

A 57-year-old woman donates knee specimens to Dr. Staninger to perhaps learn what had been causing her difficulties. The findings are frightening -- we call it Morgellons. Dr. Staninger's findings are pending publication in the Journal of Pathology.

Dr. Hildegarde Staninger is among the leading international scientists in the field of industrial toxicology. Her research has opened the door of proteinomics, enzynomics and genomics as recognized by John Hopkins/Pandey Lab and Harvard University's Medical College's small molecule genome project.

Her credits include Research Coordinator and Assistant Professor for the Research Department at Capital University of Integrative Medicine, two Presidential Awards from Mr. Walter Lowry, Martin Marietta Orlando Aerospace President and the prestigious 7th U.S. Army and Greater Stuttgart Community Award for her work during Operation Desert Shield in preventing increased chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from the Kuwaiti burning oil fields during Desert Storm.

Dr. Staninger will tell us what to look for, where it comes from and what makes this malady so alarming. You will be surprised what has been discovered about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), too.

Lyme disease victims will also want to tune in -- we want to know if there's a connection between Morgellons and Lyme disease.

You may read about this in the media sometime in the future...but tune in to In Short Order and hear it LIVE this Thursday.

If you or someone you know has suffered Morgellons, CFS, or Lyme disease, please tune to In Short Order.

You are encouraged to phone in questions or comments during this live broadcast.

The call-in hours are Thursdays, 6PM Pacific - 8PM Central - 9PM Eastern USA and Canada Toll Free Line is 1-888-762-8153 extension 897 International Callers may call 1-321-253-9667 The worldwide show at http://www.highway2healt...

Sue Vogan is a published author, book reviewer for BookPleasures, and a Lyme disease advocate.

Taking a bath is the worse thing you can do. I have to speak out. It is how it spreads from one part of the body to the

other and how it penetrates places it would not get to otherwise. If you have this Morgellons/Fiber syndrome DO NOT EVER TAKE A BATH UNTIL YOU ARE HEALED 100%.

Any and all of us that have had this for many years can not understand why anyone would suggest such a thing. Sorry..Mud packs, Gold Bond made into a paste to pull them out but do not open your pores and allow then to swim to another part of your body. THIS IS INSANE!!!!

ou may have contacted someone but if they are not with our program that it has not been spoken for. We have a very professional plan that we will and are following with a national datatbase. What state are you in? I have a list all all the state reps and what they have done so far and what they are going to be doing.

You do not have to join our organized effort, and I encourgae all those tho write to whoever they feel like writing to..but we have an organized effort suported by doctors that care and researchers that care and professional people willing to give us time and using their backgrounds to help our efforts along.

Strength in numbers Barz. But G-d bless you for writing your letters and doing what you want to do as a lone ranger. Koodos!

Tell me to shut up if I'm out of line but of all the sufferers on this forum (I'm not one but am intensely interested), me being something of a database/spreadsheet problem-solver type, wouldn't it be a good idea to start collating everybody's symptoms, signs and so on, in as scientifially a manner as is possible? Seems to me that it would be a good start and provide a basis for the experts to go at it. At really no cost. I'm quite willing to do the legwork and recording (I'm retired but hell, how did I ever find time to hold down a full time job!).

I'll tell you why I say this. I regularly go onto morgellons.org and am somewhat dismayed that the content changes very rarely. We've got Randy Wymore but results are slow there too. Tamtam (forgive me, this is not a criticism but a comment) has valuable information but it's not exactly a blockbusting fount of information for the ordinary person.

I'm in Canada and have no axe to grind, nor am I working for the US CDC or any organization of that ilk. I'm just me.

I see that recently on rense.com somebody had posted a list of all the symptoms/signs which may or may not be conclusive. I mean, even the collection of the names of people who've been diagnosed as delusional and the doctors who did it, would be interesting.

But those who would partake in such an exercise would have to trust me with their names, some method of contact and their location.

As I see it, endless speculation and references to might-be-might-not sites is helpful but not the only way to go.

Sample questions:

Blood type
Do you have Lyme Disease
What town/city do you live in
What state (US)/province (Canada)/county (UK)
What country
What is your blood type
Have you been diagnosed with Delusional Paratisosos
Do you have infected family members (to be listed separatley in this database with all questions answred for them)
Surname and first name of each family member
Year the condition was first noticed
Your surname
Your first name
Your email address
What dermatologist have you seen who diagnised DP
What GP have you seen who diagnosed DP
What psychiatrist/psychologist have you seen who diagnosed DP
Name treatments you have used
Say whether these were W(holly), P(artially) or N(egatively) effective
Have you seen fibres move beneath your skin
Have you had lab tests done